Lymire edwardsii
| Lymire edwardsii | |
|---|---|
_Caterpillar_(7571203452).jpg) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Arctiidae |
| Genus: | Lymire |
| Species: | L. edwardsii |
| Binomial name | |
| Lymire edwardsii (Grote, 1881) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Lymire edwardsii, Edwards' Wasp Moth or Rubber tree caterpillar, is a moth of the Arctiidae family. It was described by Grote in 1881. It is found in southern Florida.
The wingspan is 35–40 mm. The wings are bluish grey. Adults are on wing year round.
The larvae feed on Ficus species, including Ficus pedunculata, Ficus altissima, Ficus aurea, Ficus auriculata, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus benjamina, Ficus continifolia, Ficus elastica, Ficus lyrata, Ficus retusa and Ficus rubiginosa. They feed on leaf margins or create holes in the leaves. Full-grown larvae are pale yellow with 4 white stripes and a reddish/orange and white head. They also have little tufts of hair/spines on their body. Pupation takes place on walls of buildings, as well as on various (non-host) plants.[1]